Dangerous Mission 2: The New Akatsuki
by Destineylegend
Summary: Set before the epilogue of my fic Dangerous Mission. This tells about a mission that will shape Naruto's steps, and make him become Hokage. But, these new enemies are even stronger than Darak, can they survive, find out. Full summary inside. NaruxTen, R
1. Dangers of Hidden Sand! Fall of Suna!

Disclaimer: I only own the characters of Diran, Miran, Mishoto, Duke, and the little scene with Darak.

Summary: Set before the epilogue of my other fic Dangerous Mission. This tells about another mission Naruto under goes, and the very one that will shape his steps to Hokage. When Suna falls, Gaara seeks help from Naruto. When one of the mysterious ninja, wearing the same cloak as the Akatsuki arrives and captures Tenten. Tsunade gives this assignment to Naruto, Neji, and Lee. Along with Gaara they head towards Suna, where one of the toughest battles begins. Can they survive a battle against the four strongest ninja since Darak? The next installment in my Dangerous Mission trilogy. Yes, there will be one more after this story. So I hope your good and ready. NarutoxTenten, of course, and some other pairings that will be revealed more towards the end. Now get ready for some action. It's time that Naruto proved to his friends, that he is one of the best ninja, but can he even survive? You will just have to read and find out, in this thrilling story. Dangerous Mission 2: The New Akatsuki.

A/N: Here is my thrilling story, and my 3rd Naruto fanfic, and look at that, it's all NarutoxTenten, I must be addicted. cheers wildly Naruto and Tenten rock. Oh, sorry about the inconvenince. I had to much sugar today. I hope you are ready like I am. rubs hands greedily Time to get down to business. Now, just like before, Read, and then review, and review, I love reviews, they are so much fun. And I also wanted to try this, since Dangerous was my most popular fanfic ever. Even though there are only eight, hehe. Well, read on.

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Prologue

Danger of Hidden Sand! The Fall of Suna!

Gaara lend back in his chair, his eyes glued to the ceiling. It had been a few years since the defeat of Akatuski, and the death of Orochimaru and Sasuke. It was also a few more years after the battle he had alongside Naruto, and his friends. He still remembered the battle against Darak, and the series wound he had taken.

_Flashback_

_Darak growled, his cursed seal blazing like wildfire. The missing ninja ran forward as fast as he could, quickly passing through Gaara's sand defense. Darak then took his fist back and sent a powerful uppercut into Gaara's jaw. The sand shinobi coughed up blood as he flew higher and higher. His eyes glanced to the side to see Darak behind him, a spark began to form at the point of Darak's two middle fingers. "This is the end," the ninja growled. He shoved his fingers into Gaara's back, making the sand shinobi spit more blood out of his mouth. Darak then spun around and kicked Gaara two separate times. The ninja then rolled around so that he was now facing Gaara, a hint of anger still evident in the missing ninja's eyes. Darak growled angrily as his fist began to glow with electricity. He then pounded Gaara rapidly, the last attack sending the sand shinobi hard into the ground. Darak landed on a tree branch as he watched Gaara closely. The sand shinobi lifted himself up as best he could, blood pouring out of his body._

_"I-I-I'm bleeding," Gaara stuttered. He couldn't believe it, he was actually feeling more pain than ever before. He looked up to see Darak glaring at him. The ninja did two hand seals, and then placed them on the ground, a ball of electricity formed as he continued to glare at Gaara. "I-It can't be, the Chidori."_

_"I see you know it," Darak grinned. "Now, let's see how strong you are!" Darak lunged forward his Chidori ready to pierce Gaara's body. Sand began to surround Gaara, ready to defend him from the coming attack. But, the attack pierced through the sand wall like it was paper. "Chidori!" With that last command, the attack pierced Gaara's body, and tore through the flesh. Gaara's went wide, he couldn't believe it. The hand was pulled out slowly, causing Gaara to fall down onto the ground since there was nothing supporting him anymore. Gaara tried to stay awake, but it was impossible. His world slowly went black._

_End Flashback_

Gaara shuddered at the memory as he brought his head down and continue working on the papers. Why did he keep remembering that one memory. It was the one he never liked thinking about. Yeah, the Akatsuki were strong, but, no where near as tough as that missing ninja named Darak. He was a real monster. Gaara glanced out the window of his office, his eyes tracking all of the citizens of Suna, it was really peaceful today. He was just glad there was nothing that would disturb this peace. He glanced back at his paper work. And remembered when he defeated the Akatsuki member that stole Shukaku. Now that bastard demon was back inside Gaara's body. What luck he had. He saw one of the letters from Konoha's current Hokage, Tsunade. He lifted it up and began to scan it.

_Dear Gaara,_

_We request your presence at an important meeting between the village leaders of the five great nations. The meeting will be in two weeks, hope you can make it. Some people can't wait to see you, one baka in particular. Well, see you later Kazekage._

_Sincerily,_

_Tsunade_

_P.S. Better make it quick Naruto won't stop talking about seeing you again, even Tenten is having a hard time keeping her boyfriend calm._

Gaara chuckled as he closed the letter. It was funny hearing that Naruto was being really talkative, and its a surprise that not even Tenten can calm him down. Gaara slowly stood up and walked over to the window. _I wonder when Naruto will finally becomes Hokage, it will be a glorious day_ Gaara asked himself. It would be fun having meetings with the other demon container, he would just have to wait for that day, he just hoped it wouldn't take too long.

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A tall man wearing a long black cloak, with a red cloud on it, yawned as he gazed at the village of Suna. "I hate this, it's too quiet," he muttered. This particular man had strong arms, and bandages wrapped around his hands. His face had many battle scars, and gave people a disgusted look. His hair was also black and shaggy.

"Calm down Miran," another person spoke. He also had a black cloak with red clouds. His hair was blue, and cleanly kept. An eyeglass was on his right eye, and he had chakra pouring out of his fingers, which was creepy to anyone who saw him. It was a wonder why he didn't run out of chakra before he fought anyone.

"I'm always calm Duke," Miran snapped. Duke, and Miran heard a sound and turned to see two more people emerge behind them. This two newcomers had the same black cloaks as the other two.

"Well, if it isn't Mishoto, and Diran," Duke spoke slowly. Mishoto had red hair, and a sword attached to his back. His eyes were blood red, and you could tell that his hands were burning, since steam was rising out of them. Diran, the other person, had a hood on his cloak which covered his face. The only thing you could make out was his hands, which were a grey color.

"Is everything ready?" Diran asked calmly as he walked forward.

"It is," Miran replied. "We are ready to begin the attack."

"Very well, I'll remain here," Diran reported. "Take out Gaara as fast as you can."

"Hai!" the three ninja shouted in unison. In a split second they disappeared from the spot they were at, and headed into the villge to begin the attack. Diran grinned as he watched Suna closely.

"Now then, the fun truly begins," Diran grinned evilly. His eyes scanned the soon to be battle field. Behind his cloak, his eyes turned into slits, and he was able to see every single person in the villge. Only stopping to stare at Kankuro, Temari, and last but not least...Gaara.

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Kankuro heard an explosion and ran out of one of the buildings, Karasu all ready to go. He stopped when he saw Suna's citizens sprawled on the ground. He squinted a bit, barely making out the familir cloak. "Akatsuki!"

"Nice to meet you," the man said. He walked slowly into the opening. Kankuro could see all the scratches on the man's face.

"I thought all the Akatsuki were dead," Kankuro snarled. He then pulled out his other puppet, Kuroari. His other puppet, Salamander was destroyed a few years ago, and he never replaced it. "What did you come here for?!"

"I came here to have some fun," the ninja chuckled. "The name is Miran by the way."

"I don't give a damn if your name is Midol, I'm still going to kick the living shit out of you," Kankuro snarled.

"Man, why did I have to get the weird make up wearing freak," Miran said with mock sadness.

"Shut the hell up, and for your information it isn't make up," Kankuro snapped.

"Whatever," Miran said as he got into a fighting stance. "Bring it on puppet boy."

"I'll teach you what happens when you pick on my puppets," Kankuro said. He pulled on the chakra strings and Kuroari charged at Miran, Karasu staying back to give weapon support.

"You think your pathetic puppets can defeat me," Miran chuckled. He did a quick chain of hand seals. "Transformation Technique! Sand Boulder Jutsu!" he commanded.

"What the hell!" Kankuro screamed as he saw the sand lift up and turn into giant boulders. Miran grinned as he grabbed both boulders. "How the hell did you do that?!"

"It's my kekkei genkai," Miran spoke softly. "I can change any material into any object I want. And with this ability, and the fact that I can lift anything I want to. I use every object I can as a weapon. He then took the boulders back and tossed them at the two puppets, breaking them on impact.

"My puppets," Kankuro said in a stunned voice. "It can't be."

"Now, that was fun. It's time I showed you my taijutsu," Miran grinned. He charged at Kankuro at lightning speed. His fist launched at Kankuro with lightning speed. Miran then spun around and smashed him some more. "Taijutsu Lightning Style! Rappid Spin Attack!" Kankuro felt each attack. After Miran stopped spinning, Kankuro was shot hard into the building. Miran walked slowly over, a huge grin on his face. "I guess, that's it." Miran bent down and lifted the unconscious form of Kankuro. He then turned and walked slowly back to where Diran was. His area was defeated, it was just the other two left, he wondered how they were doing. It didn't matter, though he won his fight, and it goes to show, no one can defeat him.

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Temari jumped backwards to dodge a fire attack that was shot towards her. "That was close," she whispered. Her eyes turned up to see a robed man standing in front of her. "So, you are the one that killed mostly all these innocent people."

"You can say that," the man spoke softly.

"Tell me, who are you, and why are you wearing one of the cloaks of Akatsuki!?" Temari asked.

"The name is Mishoto, and as for these cloaks, I'm one of the new Akatsuki members," the man spoke softly.

"But, there all gone," Temari commented.

"So, we plan on rebuilding them, but first, we must take out those who would be a threat to us. First Gaara, and then Naruto," Mishoto explained.

"I won't let you hurt Gaara-nii-san!" Temari shouted.

"Then try to stop me," Mishoto spoke calmly. Temari took her fan back and swung it with all her might.

"Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Temari commanded. Mishoto lifted up his hands and did a few hand seals.

"Fire Style! Burning Wave Jutsu!" Mishoto calmly commanded. A wave of fire shot out, completely dispelling the wind attack.

"Impossible," Temari said in a shocked tone. "It can't be."

"Is that all you got?" Mishoto asked. He pulled out his blade and stared at her calmly. "Let's see how you like my attack." He lifted his sword in the air and closed his eyes. "Dark Rain of Fire!" He then swung his sword down, creating a storm of fire, each looking like raindrops. The attacks hit where Temari was standing. Said ninja barely dodged the attacks. She landed on one of the buildings and glared at Mishoto.

"I'm going to kill you," Temari snapped.

"Try it," Mishoto said in a calm voice, which started to piss Temari off.

"Stop acting so calm, it's really irritating," Temari fumed.

"Oh, should I be a little bit more angry like you, and have veins pop out of my head," Mishoto said sarcastically. Temari griited her teeth as she jumped towards Mishoto, her fan ready to smash the ninja into dust.

"Predictable," Mishoto mumbled. He lifted up his left hand and a veil of fire emerged and blocked the attack like it was nothing. Temari was then flung back into the building she jumped from. The fire then returned into Mishoto's hands.

"What the hell, that fire came out of your hands," Temari said with wide eyes. "How is that even possible."

"I would take the time to tell you, but, you won't be awake much longer," Mishoto calmly spoke. He sheathed his sword and did a few hand seals. "Volcano Style! Fire Burst Jutsu!" He motioned his hands towards Temari. Each hand then sent out a burst of fire, which burnt Temari's skin. Her clothes were ruined, and had holes burned into them. "It's a shame." Temari looked up slowly, her eyes revealing the pain that she was feeling. "I can't believe I have to kill a girl as beautiful as you."

"Sorry bastard, but I'm all ready taken," Temari spat.

"Too bad, you won't be seeing him anytime soon," Mishoto said. He then disappeared and reappeared beside Temari. Her eyes went wide as she glanced at the ninja beside her. "This is the end. Fire Sheath!" He touched the sheath, causing the blade to disappear, and create nothing but a sheath made of fire. He then swung it out smashing into Temari, and sending her flying through four buildings total. Mishoto jumped through the holes that were made by the attack. He glanced down at the unconscious form of Temari. He slowly lifted her up and walked back towards Diran, his mission was complete. It was time that Duke began his. Mishoto just hoped that their third member can take down Gaara. Only time would tell.

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Gaara looked around the village, but he couldn't see his sister or brother. "Where are they," he grumbled. He heard a sound from his right and turned to see a few sand shinobi die right before his eyes. Standing a few feet away, his fingers held out, was a black robed man. "Akatsuki," Gaara said in surprise.

"So, you are the one and only Gaara. The monster of Suna," the man said in what seemed to be a British voice.

"Correction, I was the monster of Suna, now I'm the Kazekage," Gaara said, his sand slowly forming around him.

"My bad _Kazekage_," the man said, emphasizing the word Kazekage.

"Who are you?" Gaara asked.

"The name is Duke, and I'm one of the new Akatsuki member. Nice to meet you," the man said with a bow. "I hope I can entertain you."

"Ha, you won't even be able to hurt me," Gaara scoffed.

"Are you sure," Duke said sternly. He lifted up his hands and did some quick hand seals. "Manipulation Style! Water Spike Jutsu!" A sea of up to ten flexible spike looking things emerged from Duke's fingers, and all of them shared the same characteristic, they were made of water. He then moved his hands around, and the spikes attacked with amazing speed. When the first one hit the sand wall, it broke through, causing Gaara to roll to the side to dodge the attack.

"Damn," Gaara breathed. He then saw the other spikes fly towards him. _Wait, if they break on contact, then maybe..._Gaara thought to himself. He lifted up his hand to create another sand wall, he then jumped back aways. When one of the spikes hit the sand wall, it broke it again, but the spike disappeared. "Just as I thought. These spikes of yours are only one hit attacks. Hit them with something, and they just disappear. I know your weakness now." Gaara began to move his hands rapidly, blocking each spike with the sand. Duke watched this his smile growing wider. He then began to sink under the ground, which went unnoticed by Gaara. After the last spike had fallen, Gaara stopped and looked for the one named Duke, but couldn't find him. "Guess he got scared." Gaara turned to head to another part of the village, he had to find Temari and Kankuro, but where to look. He began to walk, but paused when he heard a sound from underneath him. He looked down to see a string of black spikes covered in a dark aura charge at him. Gaara gulped as he dodged the storm, he then heard a sound and turned to see a red spike head towards him. "Damn." Gaara was then slashed by the spike, causing him to fumble a bit, blood pouring down from the wound. _This guy, he knows how to make up for that weakness. He can make as many of those chakra spikes as he can. This guy is unreal_ Gaara thought in his mind.

"Guess this is it," Duke said slowly. "I actually thought you would be worth the time." He lifted up his left hand and grinned. A storm of spikes shot out, wrapping themselves around Gaara's body. Blood began to pour down as he tried to break free. The sand also tried helping but to no avail. "Stop struggling, it will be over soon."

"I won't die..." Gaara snarled. "I won't die here!" The sand began to pulse with energy, and was able to shatter the spikes. Duke backed up aways, he couldn't believe it. Gaara breathed slowly, his thoughts racing with his next plan. _I have no chakra, I must retreat for now. Maybe Konoha can help. That's it, I'll go ask them_. Gaara nodded to himself as he created a sand shield around him. Duke grinned as he lifted his hands and shot out another wave of spikes towards Gaara. When the sand shield broke, Gaara was all ready gone.

"Damn," Duke moaned. "Guess we will have to wait to finish him off." Duke turned towards where Diran was and ran at full speed. The mission was a success. Suna had fallen, and Gaara was gone. Nothing would be able to stop them, and he knew it. The Akatsuki will return again, and become the strongest on this entire planet. This was his last thought as he approached Diran.

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Diran closed his eyes slowly, and then reopened them. Gaara had retreated, but Suna still fell to their might. Their mission was a success. "We are done," Miran reported.

"What's the next course of action?" Duke asked.

"Simple, I can see that Gaara will return. Will we place Temari and Kankuro at where the battle field will be. Him, and whoever else joins his side, will have to defeat all of us to rescue them. And I'm sure, with them on the line, he can't use all his power. This will be easier than anything I have ever done."

"Understood, will we take them there immediately," Mishoto saluted.

"Very good, now go, I have one other thing to do," Diran said.

"Hai!" was the reply Diran received. He watched the trio disappear with their new cargo. He smiled as he turned his body so that he was facing Konoha.

"Now Naruto, who is dearest to you," Diran whispered. "Shall we find out." He closed his eyes slowly, and could feel Naruto, even though he was far away. "Ah, yes. This girl with the two buns on her head. She is the one who is dearest to you. Then, I'll have the honor of taking her away from you." Diran laughed silently as he bounded into the desert, his speed increasing with each step. He would be in Konoha within a day. And then, the real fun would begin. And he couldn't wait. It was time to make Naruto truly suffer.

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A/N: Well that was a fun action packed chapter. This really turned out good in my opinion a lot of action. Well, here is a little preview on the next chaper of my Naruto story. Gaara arrives at Konoha, and talks to Tsunade. Naruto hangs out with Tenten, and they head for Neji and Lee. Who is this mysterious ninja who captures Tenten. Well, Naruto won't let them get away, it's time for some major butt kicking. On the next chapter, A New Enemy Appears! Tenten...Captured? Well, let's get ready to rumble next time. I don't know when I will update again, but I'll try to keep this moving. I hope you guys don't get bored. Well, review now please, and get ready for the next chapter. Till next time. 


	2. A New Enemy Appears! Tenten Captured?

Disclaimer: The characters I own were in the last chapter, so I won't mention them again. I don't own the other Naruto characters.

A/N: Here is the next chapter of this new fic, Yay I'm fast. Hope I can keep this up lol. I hope you guys liked the last chapter. I do wish people would review. It would really help, and it makes me feel better. So try to review on this chapter. Anyway, have fun with this. It's not as exciting as the last chapter, but don't worry. They will get more exciting. Now, without further ado, I present to you the next chapter.

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Chapter 1

A New Enemy Appears! Tenten...Captured?

Naruto gave a deep yawn as he lay on the mountaiin head of the 4th Hokage. "Man, I'm so bored," he grumbled. "It's time like these I wish Orochimaru was still alive. Hell, I wish Darak was still here. That was one of the toughest battles ever." He closed his eyes and continued to rest at his favorite spot. The suns rays felt good, and it really helped to calm his nerves.

"Naruto!" a female voice called from behind him. He opened his eyes and shot up, quickly turning to face the voice with a smile. Half a second later Tenten came into view.

"Hey Tenten-chan," Naruto said excitedly as he jumped up from his spot and walked over to her. His famous big smile plastered on his face. Which always made Tenten giggle, which was uncommon for her. She wasn't supposed to be one of those stupid ass fan girls. Like Neji's, man, they are really annoying. She was just glad she fell in love with Naruto when she did. Now she doesn't have to worry about competing for Neji's attention. It was great to be with the one ninja know one besides the Hokage, the rookie nine, her team, and all the senseis. No one else really cared if Naruto was alive or not.

"How's it going Naruto-kun?" Tenten asked as she walked up to him.

"Everything is good, a little boring though," Naruto groaned. "There hasn't been one single mission that was exciting since we defeated Orochimaru."

"Do you really want to go through another tough mission like that. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you," Tenten commented.

"I understand that, but, how else am I going to become Hokage," Naruto complained.

"Naruto-kun, you're still a genin, remember?" Tenten asked.

"Yes, but, I'm stronger that most ninja in the village," Naruto replied.

"And besides, I'm sure an opportunity to show off your stuff will present itself," Tenten tried to cheer him up with that comment.

"Thanks Tenten-chan," Naruto smiled.

"Want to go train with Neji and Lee, since they are pretty much the only ninja in Konoha that we know at the moment?" Tenten asked.

"Sure, let's go," Naruto answered, his smile becoming bigger. He always liked to go see those that actually cared about him. They were the only ones he would even associate with. Even though he knew that if he became Hokage, scratch that, when he became Hokage. He would have to spend his time protecting everyone in the village, but, he knew he could. He followed Tenten down the path of the 4th Hokage's stone face. Both were oblivious to the fact that there was a spirit watching them go.

"Soon son," the spirit spoke softly. "Soon you will get the chance to become Hokage, and I can't wait for that time. Just stay true to yourself, and protect that girl of yours. Take care son." The spirit of the man disappeared into the night, going where ever it was he needed to be. His minds circling with the site of his son and his new girlfriend. He just hoped that they would be okay until the moment he was planning for.

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Gaara stopped a few feet from the gates to Konoha, his wounds opening up again. "I can't stop here," he grumbled. "I'm almost there." He pushed himself to take a few more steps. It was a wonder to him why his wounds were still showing. He thought that the attack would only break the armor of sand, and within a day the sand would repair his body. It looked like luck was not on his side.

"Who goes there?" a voice asked. Gaara looked up slowly, his eyes coming in contact with two Konoha shinobi.

"I'm Gaara, Kazekage of Suna," the sand shinobi spoke slowly.

"Kazekage-sama! What happened to you!" the other Konoha shinobi cried.

"It's not bad, I just need to see Tsunade-sama. Immediately!" Gaara commanded. The two shinobi nodded and walked up to him. They both took one of his arms, and in an instant they ported straight to Tsunade's office. When she heard the sound, she prepared to yell at whoever it was, but stopped when she saw two shinobi, their bodies supporting Gaara.

"Gaara-sama," Tsunade said in shock. "Why didn't you take him to the hospital!" she yelled.

"S-Sorry Hokage-sama. He commanded us to bring him to you," one of the two ninja said, his voice wavering.

"Very well," Tsunade sighed. "Place him in the chair," she said with a wave of her hand. The two ninja nodded as they placed the injured Kazekage gently in the chair. They then disappeared out of the room. "Now, what's so important that you have to ignore your injuries and see me at this very moment?"

"Well Tsunade-sama," Gaara began. He lend back in the chair so he could get more comfortable as he began his tale of what had befallen Suna. "It all started yesterday..."

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Naruto and Tenten ran through Konoha so they could get to Neji and Lee faster. Naruto had a huge grin on his face, his eyes constantly darting to Tenten. And he always had a blush when he saw her. He had to admit, she was the last person he thought he would fall in love with. That mission they had together, along with Neji and Lee, changed their lives. And made them realize their feelings for each other. And it all started with one simple mistake.

_Flashback_

_Naruto watched Tenten mess with the bandages, her eyes scanning every part of his body. 'She is so beautiful,' he told himself. His eyes never left her face, he occasionally would look down to take in more of her. He was falling in love with her, that much was true. He just couldn't think why. Why had he fallen in love with this girl, he would never know. He saw her smile as she got up and placed the bloody bandages on the ground._

_"There, all done," she said._

_"Tenten-chan?" Naruto asked nervously. Tenten tried to think why he was calling her that, but she turned to answer him anyway._

_"Ye-" she began to ask but was cut off by warm lips pressed against hers. Her mind began to race, she couldn't believe that Naruto was kissing her. She just couldn't believe it. 'Why?' she continued to ask herself. After a while she backed away so she could break the kiss._

_"Tenten, I-I love you," Naruto stammered. His mind racing with thoughts of what she might say._

_"Naruto, I-I need to go, I need to collect more supplies," Tenten explained hurriedly. She quickly stood up and ran out of the cave, her mind still racing with what had happened. Naruto's face fell as he lay back on the ground._

_"Damnit, why did I do that," he berated himself. "I'm such an idiot." He slowly turned over and pushed himself up, ignoring the pain the entire time. "This sucks!" he screamed as he finally got into a sitting position. "She probably hates me now. Why did I have to kiss her. Why am I such an idiot!" He continued to sob as he faced the wall. Through the entire time he was muttering the same thing, "Tenten-chan..." After a while he heard a soft and kind voice enter the cave._

_"What's wrong Naruto-kun?" the voice asked. He turned slowly, tears still evident on his face._

_"T-Tenten-chan," Naruto breathed. He couldn't believe it, she was actually back. "I thought you left me."_

_"I'm sorry to worry you Naruto-kun, but, I had to think about some stuff," Tenten explained. Naruto couldn't tell why she was saying that. Did she actually like him back, he could only hope. "I came to a conclusion." She walked slowly forward, her eyes watching Naruto as he got himself off of the stone floor. "Are your wounds healed?"_

_"Yes, they are fine now, thanks to you," Naruto said with a smile. Tenten blushed slightly as she stopped in front of Naruto._

_"Well, I want to tell you Naruto-kun, I love you as well," Tenten said softly._

_"Tenten-chan.." Naruto breathed, he couldn't believe it, Tenten just said she loved him. He was so overjoyed. He smiled at her and in one instant they were in a warm embrace, their lips pressed lightly on top of the other. And in this instant, nothing seemed to matter, for they have both found love. And no one would ever take that from them._

_End Flashback_

Naruto smiled at the memory, that was the best day of his life. And he never forgot it, even though its been a few years since it happened. "You okay?" Tenten asked, her eyes finally noticing that Naruto was staring at her.

"Oh, it's nothing," Naruto said quickly. He turned his face away, trying desperately to hide the blush, even though he didn't know why. They were dating after all.

**"Well kit, when do you plan on asking her?"** came the voice of the most sadistic bastard you ever met, the Kyuubi.

_"None of your business,"_ Naruto snapped.

**"Man, temper temper brat," **the fox chuckled. **"Is there something wrong?"** he asked innocently.

_"Nothing you need to know about bastard fox," _Naruto growled.

**"Come on, you need to be a little bit nicer," **Kyuubi said in mock sadness.

_"Why are you torturing me," _Naruto whined. _"It isn't fair."_

**"Well excuse me for being curious," **Kyuubi growled. Naruto sighed to himself. After they merged for that fight against Darak, the fox had been constantly trying to getting friendly with him, why, he would never know. At first he thought that the fox was gay or something and that he was in love with him. But, Kyuubi just went berserk at that comment. But, Naruto had to admit that it was hilarious to hear the Kyuubi frustrated.

_"Kyuubi?"_ Naruto asked slowly.

**"What is it brat!" **Kyuubi snapped. It was obvious that he was angry about earlier.

_"Maybe we start off on the wrong foot," _Naruto replied slowly.

**"Oh, how in the earth did you figure that out sherlock," **Kyuubi said sarcastically.

_"Come on furball, I'm trying to mend things here!"_ Naruto yelled.

**"I'll think about excepting your apology," **Kyuubi thought. **"But, you better start being nicer to me brat."**

_"The same can go for you," _Naruto advised.

**"Whatever," **the Kyuubi moaned. With that last thought the fox finally shut its mouth, giving Naruto time to think.

"Race you," Naruto challenged his girlfriend.

"You're on," Tenten said. Together the two sprinted towards the training ground, both trying to outrun the other. This was the perfect way to relieve their tension. For they had no idea the danger they would soon be in.

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Gaara moved his arm a little so that it could get some feeling back. His eyes glanced to the bed he had been resting on for about 30 minutes. He then glanced back out the window, and he could feel something gnawing at the back of his mind. It all started during his tale of what happened to Suna. He couldn't place it, but something is wrong. He walked over to his gourd and picked up, and then placed it on his back. He then walked out of the room and towards the exit of the hospital. Most people he passed quickly got out of his way, which was weird. _What's wrong with them?_ he asked himself. His eyes caught someone with pink hair walking towards him.

"Gaara! What are you doing out of bed," Sakura scolded the red head.

"I'm feeling better," Gaara said in his normal, creepy sounding voice.

"I don't care, you need to get some rest," Sakura commanded him.

"I have to see Tsunade again. I have to find out who she plans to send to help me at Suna," Gaara told the pink haired girl.

"I don't care if you have to go see Kami," Sakura said with a stern look. "You are still getting to bed, and you won't be moving until you are fully recovered."

"But-" Gaara tried but was cut off by the glare and killer intent that could rival that of Kyuubi and Shukaku combined. It really scared him. "Fine, I'll rest for a few hours. Then I'm going to see Tsunade."

"Okay, that's better. Now, let's get back to your room," Sakura instructed him. She grabbed the sand shinobi's arm and began to guide him back to his hospital room. Gaara sighed to himself.

_Why Kami? Why does this happen to me?_ Gaara thought. But, somewhere in the back of his mind, he could tell something was wrong. And within an hour it would be revealed. He just hoped it wasn't anything related to what he was thinking about. If so, then there will be even more problems. He entered his room and lay down quickly, his eyes glued instantly to the ceiling.

"Now, do you need anything Gaara?" Sakura asked sweetly. The anger from before quickly forgotten.

"Hn," was all Gaara said as he watched the ceiling, he wasn't about to go to sleep anytime fast. The stupid bastard demon, whose name is Shukaku, and also a member of Gaara's kill list if it gets released, is keeping him from enjoying those pleasantries. He really wanted to kill the bastard demon, but alas, it was only wishful thinking.

"Fine, whatever you say," Sakura said. She quickly turned and left the room, making sure the door was closed behind her. Gaara watched her leave before turning back to the ceiling. He then felt something, a feeling of blood lust was in the air, and it was near one of the training grounds in Konoha.

"What is it," Gaara whispered. "I can't do anything about it, but still. I must know what it is." He gave up on his thoughts after a while, he would probably find out eventually. But for now, he would try to keep himself from getting the pink haired Kunoichi pissed. At the moment, that was the last thing he wanted to do.

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Tenten was in the lead of their little race. She turned her eyes to see Naruto coming towards her. "Come on, if this is as fast as the future Hokage can run. Then you will probably be the worst Hokage," Tenten commented.

"Don't worry, I'm only letting you win," Naruto grinned.

"Yeah, whatever," Tenten chuckled. She turned back to watching what was in front of her, when she was suddenly shot off the roof, and into a tree that was near the building. Naruto saw this and quickly turned to go check up on her. He landed beside her and quickly began to examine her, trying to see if anything was wrong. He turned to the side to see the building she was on, its roof was completely torn apart.

"What the hell," Naruto said in shock. His eyes began to glance around the area, but he couldn't pick up anything.

"Looking for me," a voice said softly. Naruto turned to the sound to see a man in a black robe with red clouds. A hood was attached to his robe, which concealed his face.

"A-Akatsuki," Naruto stammared.

"Hm, miss us," the man laughed.

"Are you trying to resurrect the organization or something?" Naruto asked in an angry voice.

"What's it to you brat," the man challenged.

"I won't let you," Naruto growled. He jumped towards the man, ready to smash his fist into the annoying mans head. The man however did a single hand seal.

"Wind Smasher Jutsu!" the man commanded. A wave of wind shot from the man and smashed against Naruto's body, sending him flying into a nearby building. Tenten slowly raised her head just in time to see Naruto fly.

"Naruto-kun..." Tenten whispered. She brought her hand to her weapons pouch and pulled out a kunai. She then tossed it at the robed man, who simply blocked it with one of his own.

"Now, now, don't be quick to die," the man chuckled. He walked over and did a few hand seals. "Now then, I think you should sleep." He pressed his right hand gently on Tenten's forehead, and mumbling a few words. Tenten instantly fell asleep. He then did a few more hand seals. "Frozen Crystal Jutsu!" Tenten's body was then surrounded by a white light, and when the brightness died down, Tenten was revealed to be encased in a frozen crystal. And you could tell she was alive. The man lifted up the crystal and placed it on his back, now his hands wouldn't be full encase some ninja try to get her back. He looked to the rubble to see Naruto heading towards him.

"Let Tenten go!" Naruto commanded the man, who simply laughed at the boy.

"Sorry, kid, but, I have no intention of doing that," the man said.

"Why do you want her anyway? And who are you for that matter?" Naruto asked.

"I just want, her, I don't know why," the man said. He then did two hand seals. "Binding Jutsu!" Naruto made to jump for the man, but found out he couldn't move. He looked down to see his feet frozen to the ground. When he looked up he saw the man jump onto the roof of the building right behind him.

"My name is Diran, remember it," the man said. He then lifted up his hand, and a burst of wind shot out, hurling Naruto through a building behind him, and through a few trees. Diran laughed to himself as he turned to face the exit of Konoha, it was time to go. He then set off at a slow and steady pace, he wanted to have some fun on his way. "Let's just see who they send after me." Diran laughed slightly as he made his leave. Naruto, meanwhile, struggled to get himself up. Blood was dripping from a cut on his arm, but it was healed rather quickly. He looked up slowly and saw the outline of Diran as he left the village.

"Tenten-chan," Naruto whispered. He heard footsteps and turned to see Neji and Lee running towards him.

"Naruto!" they shouted in unison. They quickly ran over to the blond and helped him up. They noticed the tears falling down Naruto's cheek.

"What's wrong Naruto-kun?" Lee asked, his normal, annoying springtime of youth speech forgotten.

"T-Tenten-chan, she wasn't taken," Naruto sobbed.

"By who?" Neji questioned. His body language never changed due to the information, but he was good at hiding it. Inside he was furious and ready to kill whoever took her.

"I-I couldn't save her," Naruto said as he continued to sob.

"It's okay Naruto, we'll get her back," Neji said.

"Yosh! Don't worry we won't fail! It's our duty to save Tenten!" Lee exclaimed.

"Anyway, we should go tell Tsunade," Neji added. Naruto simply nodded. Lee walked up to Naruto and grabbed the blonde's arm. Naruto reluctantly let Lee guide him to the Hokage's tower. Both Neji and Lee knew that Naruto was hurting. He really loved Tenten, and before he could even pop the question she had to be taken. Neji turned his attention to what he would tell Tsunade.

_We'll get you back_ Neji told himself. _That's a promise._

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A/N: There I hope it was interesting. In the next chapter, Naruto, Lee, and Neji are assigned to work with Gaara. Their mission, rescue Tenten, and save Suna. Diran runs through the forest, the group of Konoha ninja right behind him. What dangers lie in wait for our heroes? The race to save Tenten begins, but, what is in Suna? And is the group of ninja ready to fight them? Naruto is ready, and he is going to wipe the floor with them, we hope. This is all in the next chapter, "The Chase Begins! The S-Rank Mission!" Well, review please, I really like reviews. And the next chapter will be out as fast as I can make it. Well, till next time. 


	3. The SRank Mission! The Akatsuki Appear!

Disclaimer: I only own the new Akatsuki members. The other Naruto characters don't belong to me.

A/N: After a while, here is the next chapter of my exciting story. I hope you guys are enjoying this story, I'm finally getting into the fun part. And I already know how I want this to go. It's just a matter of if I feel liking writing it, but, don't worry, I'll try my best. Well, read on and enjoy the story.

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Chapter 2

The S-Rank Mission! The Akatsuki Appear!

Tsunade raised her head slightly when she heard footsteps approach the door. She waited patiently for the group of people to enter, and when the door finally opened she could make out the site of blond hair, followed by the famous haircut of Lee, and Neji's black hair. Once she saw Naruto she prepared to smack him, since he always called her baa-chan as soon as he entered. But, she calmed down when she saw Naruto's fallen face. "Naruto, what's wrong?" Tsunade asked.

"T-Tenten-chan was c-captured," Naruto stuttered. He was really down, he had failed to save Tenten, and now the usually hyper blond was nothing but a normal person. Which most ninja would be happy for, but not Tsunade. She hated to see Naruto like this.

"Tell me what happened?" Tsunade questioned. Naruto looked up slightly, and just stood there for a second.

"All right," Naruto finally answered. "Tenten and myself were heading off to see Neji and Lee. We ended up racing, and she was winning. But, as I was trying to catch up, I saw her fly off the roof and into a building. A guy by the name of Diran then appeared and knocked me hard into another building without even using a lot of chakra. He then used some kind of jutsu to crystallize Tenten. And then he ran off." Tsunade thought about what the blond said.

"Okay, thanks for the report. Now, the question is what do we do about it?" Tsunade asked herself.

"What do we do!" Naruto suddenly screamed. "We go after him, and rescue Tenten."

"I know how you feel Naruto, but I want to know if it is tied into what happened at Suna," Tsunade said, trying to calm the blond.

"Suna?" Naruto asked with a confused look. That got his attention.

"What happened there?" Neji inquired.

"They were attacked by three ninja, all wearing the same cloaks as Akatsuki," Tsunade said.

"Hey, that guy we saw run off had that kind of cloak," Lee added.

"He did?" Tsunade asked, her mind racing with thoughts of what to do.

"Yes, he said something about rebuilding the organization," Naruto replied.

"Interesting," Tsunade thought. "Shizune!" In an instant the Hokage's assistant ran into the door.

"Yes Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked.

"Go fetch Gaara from the hospital, I guess it's time he headed off to Suna," Tsunade commanded.

"As you wish Tsunade-sama," Shizune said with a bow. She then quickly turned and ran out of the room.

"Gaara is here?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, he arrived earlier this morning," Tsunade told the blond. "When he gets here, I'll brief you on the mission details, as well as the rank of the mission." Naruto nodded and took a seat, and waited for Gaara to come. It was no time before Gaara walked into the room, Sakura and Shizune right behind him.

"Sakura-chan!" Lee called excitedly. He ran up to Sakura and gave her a hug.

"Nice to see you too Lee-kun," Sakura said. Tsunade coughed slightly, prompting Lee to turn his attention to the Hokage.

"Now then. Since Gaara is here, I'll give the details of the mission," Tsunade told the ninja. "Neji, Lee, and Naruto. You three will head off with Gaara to Suna, and liberate it from the invaders. And in the process, you'll save Tenten."

"So, I was right," Gaara mused.

"Yes, now for the three Konoha shinobi, you are to follow Gaara's every orders. He is in charge. And this is also a S-rank mission, so be careful" Tsunade continued the briefing. "Do you understand?"

"Hai!" Neji, Lee, and Naruto shouted in unison.

"Very well, you can leave when ready," Tsunade told them with a slight nod. The four shinobi quickly got up and headed off, most likely heading there immediately. Knowing Naruto that is.

"I hope they can handle it," Shizune whispered.

"Don't worry, remember they defeated Darak," Tsunade told them.

"Yes, but these are four powerful ninja, and we don't really no how powerful they are," Sakura added.

"You got a point," Tsunade muttered. "Get one of our observation ninja to find any information on these ninja. Gaara gave me the name of the first three, which are: Duke, Miran, and Mishoto. And the one Naruto fought is Diran. Got that?"

"Hai Tsunade-sama!" Shizune saluted as she headed off to complete her duties.

"Well, let's hope they aren't as powerful as we think they are," Tsunade spoke slowly. Her eyes shifted so she was staring out the window of the Hokage Tower. _Be_ _careful Naruto, you still need to be Hokage, remember._ With that thought, Tsunade returned to her previous work.

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Diran jumped from branch to branch in a steady motion, his eyes shifting to the side occasionally, wondering if anyone was following him. He had to admit, he was getting bored, and really fast. It was midday, and the suns ways were shining through the tops of the trees. His eyes turned up to see the rays of light. If he picked up the pace at this moment, he would be in Suna by early morning, which was pretty fast. But, he wasn't about to go faster until he was sure someone was following him. It would make things more interesting. He did however, picked up the pace slightly, he could feel some unwanted attention directed at him. His eyes moved quickly, and in a heartbeat, he could make out three ANBU ninja. "Hmm, why so few." He then stopped on one of the branches, and turned to make sure Tenten was still in her slumber, which she was.

"Hold it!" one of the ANBU commanded suddenly. Diran turned to face three ninja with animal masks staring at him.

"What can I do for you?" Diran asked innocently.

"You are the one who kidnapped the ninja named Tenten," the second ANBU spoke.

"So," Diran commented.

"So, we are here to take her back," the final ANBU member said.

"That's fine, you just have to get pass me," Diran grinned. "It should be easy for ANBU, right?"

"You bet," the first ANBU spoke. The three got into a fighting stance before charging at Diran. The robed man smirked slightly, and on his forehead was a light glow. He was really going to enjoy killing these fools. I mean really enjoy.

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Naruto, Lee, Neji, and Gaara sped through the forest, hoping to catch up with the man named Diran. Neji activated his Byakugan and gazed through the trees, looking for some sign of Diran. He finally made out a figure standing on a tree branch, what looked like three bodies lay out all over the place. "I see someone up ahead," he reported.

"Finally, I thought we would never catch him," Naruto said happily.

"Hold on, we don't know if it's them, so don't get a head of yourself," Gaara warned.

"Right Kazekage," Neji nodded in agreement. After a few minutes they landed on the branches and saw a man in a black cloak standing still. Strapped to his back was Tenten.

"Give her back," Naruto called to the man. Diran turned slowly, and gave the group a good glimpse of the bodies of three ANBU. They were cut in many places, and blood was everywhere. Diran grinned at them as he licked his lips.

"Now, that was fun," Diran chuckled. "You guys want to have fun?"

"I'll get Tenten back," Naruto growled.

"Sure you will," Diran shrugged. "Now, I'm a very busy man, so you should play with some of my friends." Diran bit his thumb and did a few hand seals.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Diran commanded. A thick smoke surrounded the area. When it finally cleared, the group stood face to face with four winged birds of some sort.

"Ha, looks like I'm going to have some chicken tonight," Naruto grinned.

"Think you can beat them, you really should learn to not overestimate an opponent," Diran informed. The four birds let out a screech which knocked the group off the branches, and towards the ground. "I would love to stay and chat, but, I have some business to attend to." Diran chuckled to himself as he jumped back through the forest. The faint light on his forehead finally disappearing. Naruto grabbed hold of the nearest tree he could, quickly balancing himself. His eyes shifted around the area to see the others situated on a tree as well. His eyes then looked up to see the birds fly towards them.

"All right you damn birds, I'm going to break you!" Naruto yelled. He formed his favorite hand sign and simply said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A single clone appeared beside him as they jumped onto a branch. His clone quickly forming the Resangan in his right hand. Naruto gave a big grin as he prepared to attack.

"Byakugan!" Neji called, veins appearing near his eyes. He jumped towards one bird and kicked it onto a tree branch. Neji landed before him and smirked, "I'm taking you down. You're in the zone of my 8 trigrams." Neji took his stance and ran at lightning speed. "8 Trigrams 2 palms...4 palms...8 palms...16 palms...32 palms...8 Trigrams 64 palms!" As Neji hit him a 64th time, the bird summon began to bleed heavily and scream out in pain before disappearing. Neji sighed as he disengaged the Byakugan and turned to see the others. Gaara jumped onto a branch that was above him, and made the cork on his gourd pop off. He then lifted up one hand and a huge amount of sand began to surround the bird summon and then squeeze it.

"Desert Coffin!" Gaara exclaimed. "Desert Funeral!" Gaara then squeezed his hands together, making the sand explode, and shower the entire forest with blood. Meanwhile, Lee was charging the bird summon.

"Try this! Leaf Whirlwind!" Lee called. He swung like a whilwind, smaking the bird summon with his foot, sending it flying hard into a tree, instantly turning it into smoke. Naruto saw the other 3 summons get beaten before he charged at the one he was facing.

"I told you bird brain. Resangan!" Naruto commanded as he shoved the chakra in his palm into the summon's body, destroying it instantly. He then landed on a branch and breathed slightly. "Well, that's that."

"Right," Gaara nodded. "We should get going, we need to get to Suna as quick as possible."

"I agree. This delay gave him a huge head start," Neji nodded.

"All right then, let's go kick that guys ass!" Lee exclaimed as he jumped towards Suna. The others nodded and quickly followed him. Naruto's eyes were focused as he watched the others in front of him.

_Don't worry Tenten, we'll save you,_ Naruto told himself.

**"Who gives a damn about that bitch," **a voice scoffed in the back of Naruto's mind.

_'Shut it fur ball,' _Naruto growled at the fox demon within himself.

**"Oh, I'm so scared," **Kyuubi said with mock fear.

_'You better be, I can kill myself and you at the same time,' _Naruto snarled.

**"You wouldn't dare!" **Kyuubi screamed. **"Not even you are that foolish!"**

_'How long have you known me?' _Naruto asked, a slight humor in his voice.

**"Long enough," **Kyuubi groaned. **"Fine, I'll shut up about the bi-I mean Tenten."**

_'That's better,' _Naruto said with success. He turned his attention back to his task as they continued the long run towards Suna.

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It was a little bit past 9:00 the following day when Naruto, Lee, Gaara, and Neji could see Suna on the horizon. "Finally! We're almost there!" Lee shouted with a sigh. "I was getting board, now maybe I can fight something!"

"I know how you feel bushy brows," Naruto said with a glance in Lee's direction.

"All right, we better be on guard, no telling what could happen," Neji warned the group.

"You're right Hyuuga," Gaara agreed with a simple nod. Lee and Naruto also nodded in agreement as they quited down, which was amazing, and began to move their eyes quickly around the area. They were not about to be surprised by anything. They were unaware of the small eye that was falling them closely, watching their every movements.

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Diran smirked slightly as he watched what his little eye was seeing. "They are almost here," he said with a grin. He turned to face the other Akatsuki members, and the two sand ninja that were tied up, and the still crystallized Tenten. He smiled at them when he saw the glares from Temari and Kankuro, "Don't worry, you will be entertained soon enough." He turned back around and glanced down at the little battle place he set up. It was the center of Suna, and near the Kazekage tower, there were also some houses around the area. He turned to face Duke, "Are the other prisoners secured in their prison?"

"Hai!" Duke called dutifully with a bow. "They are secured the way you commanded."

"Good," Diran nodded. "Now, are you guys ready to have some fun?"

"I'm always ready," Miran said as he punched his right fist into his left palm with enthusiasm.

"This will be fun," Duke replied with a grin.

"Whatever," was the single word uttered by the serious Mishoto.

"Good," Diran grinned. "Now, let's go meet our gusts." The group nodded and left the building they were on and sped to the gate.

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The small group from Konoha made it to the village gate at around 10:20. They looked around but saw nobody, so they ventured in. They took a glance at some of the wrecked buildings, and some of the dead citizens. "Those bastards," Naruto growled when he saw them.

"I agree Naruto," Gaara said with a nod. They continued to walk for a little bit longer, until they felt four different chakra signals around them. The group turned instantly, trying to find where the huge amount of chakra was coming from.

"Welcome," a voice said from behind a house. In an instant, four robed men jumped in front of each of the four ninja.

"Akatsuki!" Gaara snarled at them.

"How are you feeling Gaara-kun?" Duke asked innocently.

"Better, thank you very much," Gaara growled. "I'm going to kick you stupid ass."

"I'll be waiting," Duke grinned at the Kazekage.

"Why not now," Gaara challenged.

"You'll see," Duke replied.

"Huh?" Gaara asked in a confused voice.

"Don't worry about it," Diran said. "I have a little special tournament set up. It'll be your team, versus ours. If you win, this village will be spared, and your friends released. But, if you happen to lose, everyone in this village, and including the village itself, will be destroyed."

"You're on!" Gaara agreed with a yell. "I won't let my village down."

"I'm with you Gaara," Naruto said with a nod.

"YOSH! LET'S SHOW THEM THE POWER OF YOUTH!" Lee called enthusiastically in his usual annoying fashion.

"All right, we'll take you on," Neji spoke in a calm voice.

"Good," Diran smiled. "Now, follow us." The four Akatsuki members turned and sped off towards the center of town, their opponents right behind them. The four Akatsuki jumped onto a building that held Tenten, Temari, and Kankuro. They were either knocked out or just sleeping. The four Konoha ninja landed on a house across from them, but, it was a long way off, giving a lot of room for the fighting.

"How do we want to do this?" Naruto asked with anger as he glanced at Tenten. _Don't worry, I'll save you Tenten-chan,_ Naruto told himself.

"I'll start," Miran announced as he removed his robe, revealing a huge muscular body, and black pants. He had scars running down the entire length of his body, and bandages around his hands. He then jumped to a spot a little ways from the building he was on.

"I got this one," Lee said as he too jumped into a spot a little bit in front of his teams little building.

"So, I get the annoying bowl haired cut guy," Miran laughed.

"I'll teach you to mess with the power of youth!" Lee yelled at the man.

"Then bring it on," Miran grinned. Lee got into his fighting stance and waited for Miran to launch the first attack. Miran did a few hand seals in a quick motion. "Transformation Style! Sand Bomb Jutsu!" He touched the ground and a bit of the sand turned into a few bombs and moved quickly across the ground, catching Lee of guard as they exploded right near him, kicking up a huge amount of smoke. The others were shocked at the speed of the bombs, and wondered if Lee was alive. Only one way to find out, and that was to wait.

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A/N: That was the exciting cliffhanger, is Lee alive, and if so, can he defeat Miran. In the next chapter it's crunch time and Lee is throwing all the stuff he knows at Miran. But this guy isn't fazed by anything, can Lee pull of a win? Or is he heading for a giant beating? This battle is turning into a true battle of the taijutsu masters, but who will be the true master? You'll just have to wait and see in the next episode or chapter of Naruto, "Miran vs. Lee! The Taijutsu Battle!" All right, that is what you can look forward to. I hope a lot of people review, it'll make speed up the next chapter. Well, see you next time, and don't forget to review, thanks very much. 


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